Hairy microbes
© Alamy
This is a
Paramecium
, a single-celled organism found in marine environments. They munch on bacteria and algae with cellular mouths called cystomes. Under the view of a microscope, you can see countless hair-like structures called cilia emerging from organelles known as trichocysts. Their purpose is to protect the organism from predators, as well as helping propel them through the water.